National Drug Intelligence Center

Title:

Arizona Drug Threat Assessment

Publication Date: December 2003

Document ID: 2003-S0387AZ-001

Archived on: January 1, 2006.
This document may contain
dated information. It remains available to provide
access to historical materials.

This report is a strategic assessment that addresses the status and
outlook of the drug threat to Arizona.
Analytical judgment determined the threat posed by each drug type or
category, taking into account the most current quantitative and
qualitative information on availability, demand, production or
cultivation, transportation, and distribution, as well as the effects of a
particular drug on abusers and society as a whole. While NDIC sought to
incorporate the latest available information, a time lag often exists
between collection and publication of data, particularly demand-related
data sets. NDIC anticipates that this drug threat assessment will be
useful to policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and treatment providers
at the federal, state, and local levels because it draws upon a broad
range of information sources to describe and analyze the drug threat to Arizona.

Your questions, comments, and suggestions for future
subjects are welcome at any time. Addresses are
provided at the end of the page.

Arizona is a gateway to the United States for a large percentage
of the illicit drugs available in drug markets throughout the country. Large
quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana are smuggled into
the state from Mexico for distribution within Arizona or for eventual transport
to drug markets throughout the nation. Other dangerous drugs are smuggled into
Arizona from Mexico as well, primarily for abuse within the state.

Methamphetamine is a primary drug threat to Arizona. High
purity, low cost methamphetamine is readily available, and the drug is abused
throughout the state. Crystal methamphetamine is becoming increasingly available
throughout Arizona; some areas report higher levels of abuse of crystal
methamphetamine than powdered methamphetamine. Methamphetamine produced in
Mexico is the predominant type available in the state. Methamphetamine produced
in Arizona and other states, particularly California and Nevada, is available,
but to a lesser extent. Methamphetamine is produced in the state by Caucasian
criminal groups and independent producers. They typically produce the drug in
ounce quantities using the iodine/red phosphorus method. Mexican drug
trafficking organizations, Mexican criminal groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and
Mexican independent laboratory operators also produce methamphetamine in
Arizona, but to a lesser extent. Mexican drug trafficking organizations and
criminal groups control the transportation and wholesale distribution of most
methamphetamine. Caucasian criminal groups, Caucasian and Mexican local
independent dealers, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and Hispanic gangs also distribute
the drug at the wholesale level. Caucasian and Mexican criminal groups,
Caucasian and Mexican local independent dealers, outlaw motor-cycle gangs,
Hispanic street gangs, and prison gangs dominate retail-level methamphetamine
distribution in the state.

Cocaine is a significant drug threat to Arizona. Powdered
cocaine and crack cocaine are widely available and frequently abused throughout
the state; however, crack cocaine is more readily available in larger
metropolitan areas such as Phoenix and Tucson. Mexican drug trafficking
organizations and criminal groups dominate the transportation of cocaine into
Arizona. They generally smuggle cocaine from Mexico to Arizona through and
between ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexican drug trafficking
organizations and criminal groups control wholesale powdered cocaine
distribution. Hispanic street gangs and African American, Hispanic, and
Caucasian independent dealers dominate retail powdered cocaine distribution in
Arizona. African American and Hispanic street gangs and independent dealers
control the retail distribution of crack cocaine.

Marijuana is a significant drug threat to Arizona. Marijuana
produced in Mexico is the predominant type available throughout Arizona. Locally
produced marijuana and Canada-produced marijuana, commonly called BC Bud, are
also available, but to a lesser extent. Cannabis cultivation occurs within the
state and generally is controlled by Caucasian and Hispanic criminal groups and
independent producers. Mexican drug trafficking organizations and criminal
groups dominate the smuggling of marijuana from Mexico into Arizona. Mexican
drug trafficking organizations and criminal groups control wholesale
distribution of marijuana produced in Mexico; Hispanic street gangs and
Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic local independent dealers control
retail distribution of the drug. Caucasian and Hispanic criminal groups and
independent dealers are the primary wholesale and retail distributors of locally
produced marijuana in Arizona. Caucasian independent dealers are the primary
retail distributors of the limited quantities of BC Bud available in the state.

Other dangerous drugs (ODDs) include club drugs such as
MDMA, GHB and its analogs, ketamine, the hallucinogens LSD and PCP, and
Rohypnol. ODDs also include inhalants and diverted pharmaceuticals. MDMA is
readily available and abused in Arizona and poses a considerable drug threat to
the state. Other ODDs present varying threats to Arizona. Various criminal
groups and independent dealers transport ODDs to Arizona via private vehicles,
couriers on commercial and private aircraft, couriers traveling by foot entering
the United States from Mexico, and package delivery services. Club drugs
primarily are sold and abused by middle-class, suburban, young adults at raves
and nightclubs and on college campuses. Hallucinogens are also distributed by
local independent dealers throughout the state. Pharmaceuticals such as
hydrocodone (Vicodin), benzodiazepine (Valium, Xanax), oxycodone (OxyContin,
Percocet, Percodan), steroids, and codeine typically are diverted through a
variety of techniques including "doctor shopping," pharmacy diversion,
prescription forgery, smuggling from Mexico, and purchasing over the Internet,
particularly from foreign sources such as Mexico.